The Wisconsin Badgers (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) will look to return to the win column on Saturday when they take the field against the rival Iowa Hawkeyes (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten).
The Badgers recently dropped their Week 9 contest to No. 3 Penn State 28-13. The loss saw the team’s three-game win streak come to an end. More critically, it saw a golden opportunity at a statement, program-defining victory waste away.
Related: Ranking the biggest storylines entering Wisconsin’s rivalry matchup against Iowa
Saturday’s matchup does not carry the same weight as a primetime home game against a top-three team in the AP Poll. But as we’ve described since Luke Fickell was hired, these are the games the Badgers must begin to consistently win.
Wisconsin has lost three of four to Iowa dating back to 2020 — directly coinciding with the Badgers’ general struggles as a program. Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s top-end run from 2016 to 2019 saw four straight wins over the rival Hawkeyes. The same can be said when Barry Alvarez’s Badgers won five straight over Iowa from 1997 to 2001.
It’s no coincidence that Wisconsin’s best runs all occur when the team dominates Iowa. The two are similar programs, in the end, that each battle for the same real estate in the conference landscape.
That thought is a roundabout way of noting that Fickell needs to avenge Wisconsin’s 2023 loss to Iowa if he is to begin to turn the Badgers into a Big Ten contender. A win could send Wisconsin into the top five of the Big Ten standings, while a loss could drop them outside the top 10.
The stakes are high entering Saturday’s rivalry matchup. As we approach kickoff, it’s time to make some predictions:
How to watch, listen to Wisconsin vs. Iowa
Oct 19, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell on the sidelines against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Here’s when…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Football | Badgers Wire…